Incident at Beijing International

Official lawlessness breeds anger and unrest in China.

Updated July 24, 2013 3:38 p.m. ET

A wheelchair-bound man detonated a homemade bomb inside Beijing International Airport on Saturday, injuring only himself. Ji Zhongxing is one of a growing number of Chinese who, having failed to get the authorities to listen to their grievances, decide to commit suicide in spectacular fashion. But Mr. Ji lived, and over the last few days his story has attracted widespread sympathy.

To understand this public reaction, consider another recent Beijing drama: the arrest of Xu Zhiyong. A lawyer and professor, Mr. Xu leads...